


Paws For Thought

by BeautifulSolo



Category: NU'EST, Produce 101 (TV)
Genre: BaekMin, Catboys, M/M, Some Swearing, useless fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-25
Updated: 2018-02-25
Packaged: 2019-03-23 15:19:51
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,900
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13790487
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BeautifulSolo/pseuds/BeautifulSolo
Summary: Dongho's roommate is a little fluffier than the average guy, but Dongho likes him anyway.He's also not having the greatest week.





	Paws For Thought

_ “...well, I’m just glad to hear you’re doing okay out there, honey. How’s the...um...the living situation?” _

 

“What about it? Worried about your little country boy surviving in the big city?”

 

_ “No, no, I know you always manage to land on your feet somehow. I mean more...you know. The companion. How do you handle the shedding, and the claws? Does he yowl at night? Oh my, he doesn’t catch small animals, does he?” _

 

“-ah, Mom, it’s really nothing like that! He’s just an ordinary guy, really. Just...fluffier.”

 

_ “If you insist, dear. It’s alright to vent to me if you want to, though - after all, everybody knows that their kind are a bit  _ strange _.” _ Dongho’s mother was always like this. She never seemed to get that Dongho didn’t  _ need _ to vent, because his living situation was absolutely  _ fine _ and if he was going to vent about anything it would probably be his job. (Which was also fine, to be honest.)

 

While he could, theoretically, try to explain it to her properly, Dongho figured it wasn’t really worth the effort. “Sure, thanks Mom. I’ll keep it in mind in case anything comes up. Things are good now, though.” He began typing loudly on his laptop with his free hand, hoping the sound would get through his phone and indicate to his mother that he was Busy Working Now.

 

...yeah, working. Not messing around on social media. Working.

 

_ “Oh, are you hard at work again? Such a good boy. Don’t forget to take time for yourself, now! Even though there’s pressure to keep up in the city, you mustn’t forget your roots, alright?” _

 

“Yes, Mom…”

 

_ “And if you _ do _ find any birds or little rodents left around your apartment, do use gloves to pick them up-” _

 

_ “Mom.” _

 

After the call was long-since disconnected and the sound of a key in the front door brought Dongho out of a twitter-scrolling trance, he allowed himself a moment to be grateful that his mother always called while his roommate was at work.

 

**~*~**

 

Growing up, Dongho had never met a hybrid before. Seen them on TV, sure, but never actually met one, or even seen them walking around. Had he stayed in the little rural town where he was born, maybe he would never have met one in his life.

 

But Dongho knew his future lay outside of his little town, out in the big city. When the time came to make the big move, his new salary and savings were certainly enough to rent a suitable place for himself, but Dongho wanted to aim a little higher, and shoot for a nicer apartment than he could afford on his own.

 

Which led him to the most curious little personal ad he’d ever seen.

  
  


_ Feline Hybrid (23 M) Seeking Non-Hybrid Roommate For Help Securing A Rental _

 

_ Clean, easy going, employed! _

 

_ Will pay rent (looking to negotiate rent shares in exchange for household tasks) _

  
  


The rest was all location and budget details, which matched up with what Dongho was looking for pretty well. It sounded almost too good to be true, really - an affordable way of renting a nicer place, a roommate his own age, and the possibility of offloading chores onto somebody else? Perfect.

 

He got in touch as soon as possible, and after a handful of introductory coffee meetings to get each other - and what they were looking for in an apartment - figured out and several apartment viewings in different areas of the city, Dongho found himself moving into a very nice two-bedroom apartment. With a roommate. A smiley, and actually  _ very attractive _ , feline-hybrid roommate. Hwang Minhyun.

 

That had been months ago now, in the depths of winter. Summer was coming, and the pair had settled into as vaguely-domestic a life as two young men finding their way in the city for the first time could expect to. Living with a hybrid hadn’t been so bad, really - Minhyun was nice, he made bad jokes, he took over all of the chores in exchange for paying 25% rent, instead of half, and he didn’t give Dongho any grief for eating so much meat and not enough vegetables because he did exactly the same thing. He was the cheerful type, keen to play and not even remotely shy about casual, familiar touches.

 

Compromises did have to be made in some places. Doors were opened and closed entirely on Minhyun’s terms because Dongho was terrified he might accidentally close one on the hybrid’s tail one of these days, and citrus-scented colognes and body washes were banned from the apartment after the realisation that being around them made Minhyun very lethargic. Meanwhile Minhyun, apparently paranoid about ruining the furniture, dutifully brushed his tail every morning to minimise the shedding and kept his nails filed neat and round to the point of it being an obsession.

 

They were an odd pair, perhaps, but over time they struck up what Dongho was pretty sure constituted a friendship. Even if Dongho often felt some... _ more than friendly feelings _ towards his new roommate, he was pretty sure Minhyun hadn’t noticed anything. Everything was fine. It was chill.

 

**~*~**

 

“I’m back!”

“Hey,” Dongho called in the direction of the door, suddenly thinking of the call from his mother earlier that day and adding on belatedly “welcome back. How was work?”

 

Minhyun leaned back against the door with a heavy sigh as it closed, holding a cardboard box in his arms. His hair was a mess, and ears a little flat, like they often tended to be after a long shift at the coffee shop. “It was okay. Uneventful. My coworker’s tail harness broke and his tail almost landed in someone’s coffee, but that’s about it.” With a weary smile, he held up the box to show Dongho properly. “I picked up the new vacuum though - the little handheld one? It should fit under that table next to the couch, so it’ll be easy to reach ready for uh, shedding season.”

 

Dongho continued tapping away at his laptop, watching as Minhyun moved to put the new vacuum in its rightful place. When the hybrid had his back turned, however, Dongho noticed the way his tail gently swished from side to side.

 

“You’re wagging,” he announced suddenly, causing Minhyun to freeze in place by the couch. It had to suck, involuntarily having his heart on his sleeve that way, but Dongho couldn’t just ignore the flattened ears and waving tail. “Your tail is wagging. Did something else happen at work today?”

 

Minhyun was quiet for a while, which was strange in itself. He put the vacuum under the table and after a short pause, clambered onto the couch with another sigh. The end of his tail flicked around as he did so.

 

“Okay. There was one other thing at work today.”

“Do you wanna talk about it?” Dongho wasn’t good at emotional stuff, and Minhyun didn’t seem particularly keen to bring it up, but he felt like he should, anyway.

“Well…” Minhyun pulled his knees up to his chest, “there was just a weirdo at work. You know the kind. He was saying really gross stuff about all the hybrid staff there.”

Ouch. It wasn’t something Dongho had seen much in person, but Minhyun encountered unsavoury folks often enough. “Like the angry kind of gross, or…?”

“The gross kind of gross.” He huffed and pulled a face. Dongho copied him. “Eventually we got the manager to step in, but if he’d arrived a second later Minki probably would have punched the guy.”

“This Minki guy sounds like he has the right idea.”

 

Minhyun suddenly let out a distressed groan and hid his face in his hands. “ _ Fuck. _ I was so distracted after what happened at work I forgot to pick up anything for  _ dinner _ . I  _ knew _ I was forgetting something when I got the vacuum. Ugh. I hate today.” His tail gave one, frustrated  _ thwack _ against the side of the couch before seemingly just giving up.

 

Dongho wasn’t good at this, but he had to do something.

Taking his phone, he made his way over to the couch and sat down beside Minhyun, slipping an arm around him in what he hoped was a comforting gesture.

“Hey,” he smiled, giving Minhyun’s shoulder a gentle squeeze, “how about we get pizza? I’m buying.”

 

Minhyun looked up at him hopefully. “...Meaty Supreme?”

“Just Dongho is fine.”

“I can’t believe you.” Minhyun reached out to swat Dongho weakly - but at least he was laughing now, and that made Dongho’s heart feel all warm and fluttery. He was really smiling, in that beautiful way that reached his eyes.

Dongho almost forgot to breathe.

“Come on. You get out of your uniform while I order. You’re at home now - look like it!”

“On it~” Wriggling out of Dongho’s hold, Minhyun hurried away to the bathroom with the spring very much back in his step.

 

Watching the hybrid’s tail disappear around the corner, Dongho wondered if this was how it felt to be completely, hopelessly whipped.

  
  


By the time the pizza (well, two pizzas, and some sides, _ and _ ice cream) arrived, Minhyun was showered, out of his uniform and very comfortable on the couch beside Dongho, watching TV and playing with a small fidget toy in his hands. His tail had curled cheerily around Dongho’s middle as they devoured their pizzas, and it took every ounce of Dongho’s self control not to explode with embarrassment when Minhyun flopped against his side.

If Dongho had been living with anyone but Minhyun, he probably would have been scolded for eating far,  _ far _ too much meat. And carbs. And fat. All the good and important food groups. But he was with Minhyun and the hybrid had polished off his Meaty Supreme in record time and moved onto his ice cream - which he was stirring, because he preferred it all melted like some kind of weirdo. Maybe it was a hybrid thing.

 

Dongho opened his mouth to say something - comment on the dumb drama they were watching, maybe - but the words never came out as from beside him, Minhyun let out a contented little  _ chirrup _ sound.

Apparently he hadn’t even realised he was doing it, as the hybrid suddenly paused, glanced at Dongho with a deep flush across his cheeks, and promptly shoved a spoonful of ice cream into his mouth.

 

They’d been living together for months now, but it was Dongho’s first time hearing that sound. He liked it.

 

“You good?” Dongho murmured, so as not to drown out the TV.

Minhyun popped the spoon back out of his mouth and smiled bashfully, still pink-cheeked. The sound returned and Dongho was  _ living _ . “Yeah,” he grinned, “better than good. I’ve got pizza, and ice cream.” Lowering his voice, he snuggled into Dongho’s side. “And a roommate who cares.”

Dongho didn’t know what to do with himself aside from dumbly respond  _ yeah, you do _ and cram some more pizza into his mouth so he didn’t say anything more stupid.

Whipped.

 

**~*~**

 

Minhyun worked two jobs.

 

He’d let Dongho know about this from the get-go, because  _ “People don’t like trusting us with big commitments for some reason. Like full-time jobs. Or decent apartment rentals.” _

 

One was his normal job with regular hours down at the coffee shop. It was a little stressful, especially when weird people showed up like one had that week (and was apparently coming back every day to talk more shit) but it was sociable and there were other hybrids working there and Minhyun was, apparently, pretty good at it. Dongho had never been to that particular coffee shop, but quietly decided not to go so he didn’t embarrass Minhyun somehow.

 

His other job was less regular. Random night shifts in a warehouse in the retail park just out of town. It was strange - they could go for weeks without needing an extra pair of hands, but suddenly for five, six, even ten nights running they would be sending out calls for more workers. Dongho didn’t really know how that stuff worked, because he worked in an office like most people he knew, but sometimes there were days when, dragging himself out of bed early in the morning to head in to work, Dongho would find Minhyun asleep on the couch having never actually reached his bed after work the previous night.

 

Today was one of those days.

 

He was still in his clothes from the day before, his bag tossed to the floor aimlessly and his whole body almost crumpled into a pile on the couch. It didn’t look comfortable, but apparently it was enough for a very, very tired Minhyun. When the other boy didn’t even stir - not even a flick of the ears - the entire time Dongho was making himself breakfast and getting ready for work, he figured it was time to step in. He picked up the bag first before moving on to Minhyun himself.

 

“Come on…” Dongho sighed, doing his best to lift Minhyun gently up from the couch. Sleepily, Minhyun draped his arms around Dongho’s neck and yawned.

 

It would have been nice, had Dongho not been trying to move him. “Don’t wanna.”

 

“You’ll sleep better in your bed than on the couch, and you have work again this afternoon.” Minhyun just grumbled in response, but did start actually moving a little bit with Dongho’s help. The two of them took slow, slightly wobbly steps towards Minhyun’s bedroom, and while Dongho would normally have preferred to leave it there, the hybrid seemed like he was about to fall asleep standing up against the door the moment Dongho let go of him.

 

He opened the door for him, flinching only a little when Minhyun reached out to hold his hand and keep himself steady. Going into Minhyun’s room like this… they rarely went into each other’s bedrooms for some reason. It felt almost wrong. But Minhyun definitely wasn’t going to make it to his own bed without Dongho’s help.

 

Minhyun’s room was clean, as was to be expected. There was no clutter or clothes on the floor for them to stumble over, and it seemed like everything in the room had a proper place. Dongho wondered what Minhyun would think of his own, significantly messier bedroom, as he guided Minhyun to the bed and helped him to lie down.

 

It was warm. Minhyun would probably be fine without the blanket for now - he just needed to sleep.

 

“What time is your shift this afternoon?” Dongho rummaged in Minhyun’s bag before digging out his phone, which gratefully flashed  _ 7% Battery _ at its saviour before Dongho put it on charge. Minhyun’s reply was mumbled, but enough for Dongho to set an alarm for him with (hopefully) enough time to shower and eat before work.

 

Work. Dongho couldn’t really hang around much longer, or he’d be late to the office himself. Without really thinking, he reached out to stroke Minhyun’s hair, fingertips brushing lightly over the hybrid’s ears. Minhyun chirped quietly and nuzzled into the blankets.

 

“Don’t forget to eat before work.”

“Okay  _ Mom _ .” Was Minhyun’s sleepy response, tail flicking over to curl over his knees. He softly murmured  _ thank you _ , and Dongho’s heart did a little embarrassing flip. After that, he fell silent again.

 

Dongho only felt a  _ little _ creepy sitting with him for a minute or so longer, before finally heading out to work. At least he didn’t do anything really weird like kiss his forehead or something. Not that Dongho had been thinking about that at all. Nope.  _ Nope. _

 

He hoped Minhyun didn’t have any more night shifts for the time being. He didn’t need those. Not on a week like this.

 

**~*~**

 

‘A week like this’ turned out to be one of the toughest weeks Dongho had seen Minhyun go through. And yes, there were more night shifts.

 

By Friday, Dongho couldn’t even concentrate on his own work. He spent most of his office hours that day worrying, wondering if Minhyun was managing to keep a perky demeanour at the coffee shop, or if the weird person had come back yet again. For the most part, Minhyun had done his best to stay normal - keeping up with household chores and not really talking much about the things that were stressing him out - so Dongho did his best to return the favour the same way and not make a huge deal out of it. But it was obvious. Really obvious. And Dongho wished he were able to help somehow.

 

Most people their age would probably pick up some beer or something, but Dongho didn’t really drink, and neither did Minhyun. Could Minhyun even drink much as a hybrid…? Dongho wasn’t sure. And Minhyun would be working later than normal at the shop and already planned on picking up some fast food on his way home, so anything interesting for dinner was out.

 

_ Maybe I could pick up a mecha movie in town _ , he mused as he packed up his things ready to leave for the day,  _ but he might not even be in the mood to watch a movie. _ Being a supportive roommate was hard.

 

He kept on wondering all the way home, walking along almost in a daze as he struggled to think of what to do to help Minhyun feel better. He paused to check his texts - just his mother asking what the weather was like in the city, he could reply later - and when he glanced up, he realised he’d stopped outside the pet supply store.

 

In the window were some small jars filled with tiny, ground leaves.

 

_ Catnip _ .

 

Did Minhyun even like catnip? Was that a thing? Did it work on hybrids? He’d never seen Minhyun buy it - he didn’t even know how one was supposed to use the stuff - but being sold normally like this, it couldn’t be anything too weird, could it? It was literally just leaves.

 

At worst, he supposed, he could just donate it to a friend who had an actual cat.

 

Taking a deep breath, Dongho tucked his phone away into his pocket and went into the pet store, making a beeline for the treats section. It felt kind of strange, buying something for his roommate in the  _ animal _ store. Maybe that was why Minhyun never bought it himself.

 

Among the kitten milk and dental-care snacks were the jars of catnip. There were so many brands.  _ Why were there so many brands for the same dried plant _ . Still, Dongho decided on one of the plainer-looking jars, made of glass and distinctly lacking in cat motifs anywhere on the packaging. It looked like any regular jar of herbs to be kept in the kitchen.

 

“Oh, Dongho!” He froze - one of his coworkers, an older woman, hurried over to him with her arms full of various dog treats and toys. “Fancy seeing you here! I didn’t know you had a pet. Is that catnip? You have a cat?”

 

“Ah.” This wasn’t a conversation Dongho really wanted to have. “No, no...this is uh, for my roommate.”

 

“So your roommate has a cat?”

 

“No…”  _ why did this have to be so awkward _ “It’s for my roommate’s personal use. He doesn’t have a cat.”

 

She paused, and Dongho could almost exactly pinpoint the moment that realisation struck. “Oh...so your roommate... _ is _ the cat?” When Dongho just nodded, her mouth formed a surprised little  _ o _ . She laughed nervously. “Ahaha, that must be...interesting? I would never have guessed, since you’ve never got any fur on you when you come to the office.”

 

“Well, you know, he’s a pretty considerate guy. Tidy, nice to live with.” Noticing a register opening up, Dongho quickly made his move to leave. “Anyway! I should get going - you should bring some pet photos into the office sometime.”

 

“Oh yes, of course. You t-” She cut herself off quickly, so Dongho fortunately didn’t have to, and took her leave to go and look at the collars. Dongho didn’t think he’d ever rushed through a transaction any faster in his entire life, and as soon as his purchase was safely in his bag he practically sprinted out of the store.

 

If it was that awkward for  _ Dongho _ , no wonder Minhyun never bothered with the stuff. At least, Dongho hoped that was the case and he hadn’t just bought a bunch of leaves that the other boy wouldn’t even like.

  
  
  


Once he got home, Dongho left the jar of catnip on the countertop and dug out his laptop, and spent the rest of the evening warring internally with himself about whether or not to open up an incognito browser window and look up how to actually use catnip.

  
  
  


When the front door next opened, there wasn’t even a call of  _ I’m home! _ Just an exasperated sigh and quiet fumbling sounds as, Dongho assumed, Minhyun kicked off his shoes.

Minhyun finally showed his face, and Dongho felt his heart break, just a little bit. He looked so, so tired, and there was a very feeble attempt at a smile when he saw Dongho sitting at the table.

 

His ears were flat, eyes dull. His tail wasn’t even wagging at this point - just flopping uselessly downwards, barely enough effort being put in so it didn’t trail on the floor.

 

“Hey…” Dongho began, swallowing when Minhyun looked at him properly. God, Minhyun looked so exhausted. “How was today?”

 

“Okay,” Minhyun was a horrible liar. “Just coffee. And that guy. But nothing we couldn’t handle.” He laughed weakly and it took all of Dongho’s strength not to get right up and hug him. “At least I’m off tomorrow. It’s not been the best week.”  _ No shit. _

 

Minhyun was about to toss his bag onto the floor when he paused, gaze fixed in the direction of the kitchen. It was so silent, the gentle humming of the lights suddenly seemed deafeningly loud. Dongho didn’t even dare to swallow.

 

“What’s…” Minhyun began slowly, blinking fast, “what’s that?”

Dongho played dumb. “What’s what?”

 

Minhyun didn’t reply, and after setting his bag down carefully he headed to the kitchen and cautiously picked up the little glass jar, turning it around in his hands. He stared at it wordlessly, and a terrible sort of lump formed in Dongho’s throat. Oh no.

 

“Catnip?” He glanced between Dongho and the jar. “Did...did you buy catnip? For me?”

 

Dongho could feel his palms sweating. Shit. He’d messed up, hadn’t he? He’d insulted Minhyun somehow and he’d already had a terrible week and-

 

“I-” Minhyun hiccuped, bringing Dongho back to reality. Were...were his eyes shining? “I don’t deserve you.”

 

Dongho felt himself relax almost immediately, shoulders dropping so hard in relief that he probably pulled a muscle in his neck. “We’re cool? Catnip is okay?”

 

Minhyun took a moment before replying again, blinking rapidly and pressing his lips together hard. “I haven’t had catnip in years. There’s something so degrading about going into the pet store to buy it, so…” He laughed a little bit, and for the first time that evening, there seemed to be a genuine light in his eyes that had Dongho’s heart soaring. “This is for me, right?”   
  
“Well, I’m not gonna use it.” Dongho winked, relieved that the atmosphere in the apartment was finally lightening up a little. “I wouldn’t even know  _ how _ , but uh, you’ve had a crappy week, so…”

 

Minhyun snorted in that unattractive-but-somehow-still-attractive-because-it’s-Minhyun way. “Don’t worry, it’s nothing weird. I always made tea with it - it’s pretty relaxing even in small doses.” He was smiling. Really smiling - still tired, but smiling. Dongho could just about see his tail curling upwards from the other side of the kitchen counters. Laughing a little, Minhyun set about putting the kettle on to boil. “I’m uh, gonna make some tea, then get out of my uniform.”

 

“I’ll make it,” Dongho got out of his seat then, closing his laptop, “go change. I need to feed myself anyway.”

 

With a grateful nod, Minhyun left for his bedroom, calling out  _ just two spoons is fine _ on the way there.  _ Teaspoons? Tablespoons? No, it’s tea, so it’s probably gonna be teaspoons. _ Dongho grazed on various already-edible things he dug out of the fridge and the kitchen cupboards as he waited for the water to boil and then again for the catnip to steep in the water. It looked pretty weak - more like flavoured water - but maybe Minhyun was a lightweight. Cute.

 

Smiling to himself, physically and emotionally warm as well as fed, Dongho placed the cup of catnip tea on the table next to the couch, and made himself comfy in front of the TV ready for Minhyun’s return.

 

When Minhyun came back, smiling sheepishly and looking much more comfortable in a baggy tee and sweatpants, he curled up on the couch next to Dongho and took his cup of tea with a whispered  _ thank you _ . It made Dongho’s insides feel all squirmy, so he distracted himself by turning the volume up on the TV. It was something they liked to do on Fridays, if Minhyun didn’t have to go in for his other job - putting on whatever boring quiz shows they could find and giving increasingly silly answers.

 

_ “...and who, giving their full name, was the fourteenth president of the United States?” _

“Batman.” Dongho’s heart swelled as Minhyun snickered into his tea. “What? It’s definitely Batman.”

The hybrid didn’t have anything to say, for once. Sipping on his tea and practically melting into the couch, he cuddled into Dongho’s side. There was a soft, low rumbling sound coming from his throat and realising what it was had Dongho both delighted and flustered. Still, he couldn’t help but lean into Minhyun’s touch, almost feeling the gentle  _ purr _ as Minhyun relaxed.

 

It was the first time he’d ever heard Minhyun purr. Either Minhyun had been embarrassed about it because it was a  _ cat thing _ or he’d never felt relaxed enough to purr for the entire time they’d been living together. Dongho hoped, as Minhyun’s tail curled lazily around the cushions, that it was the former.

 

They were so close. Dongho had given up on yelling dumb things at the TV to listen to Minhyun purring instead, and  _ Minhyun _ \- he was so relaxed it was like he’d turned to jelly right there, flopped against Dongho like it was a space made just for him. He’d finished his tea by now, and just about managed to put the cup on the table without breaking contact with Dongho. It made Dongho feel like a giant pillow or something, which he certainly wasn’t going to complain about.

 

Maybe it was the soft background  _ purr _ messing with his brain, but Dongho thought Minhyun looked especially pretty right about then, eyes half-lidded and a sleepy smile on his lips. It was a little dangerous to look at Minhyun’s lips. Time to look at the TV.

 

“I’m so lucky.” Minhyun sighed and nuzzled against Dongho gently, making his heart flip practically into his throat.

 

Had the mood not been so...heavy, Dongho might have replied with something dumb like  _ do you really like catnip that much?  _ But it was, and he didn’t. Instead, he slipped his arm around Minhyun’s waist and pulled him a little closer, encouraging him to go on.

 

“I mean, that ad I put out,” Dongho was pretty sure he’d kept a copy of it somewhere, so yeah, he knew that ad. “Anyone could have answered it. I was fully expecting some weird old person to reply, who would want me to do all the chores in dumb frilly outfits and wear a collar and say  _ nya _ . And I would totally have done it, too.” He sighed deeply, pushing his forehead into Dongho’s shoulder a little. His ears tickled against Dongho’s skin. “Anything for a little more independence. The hostel I was in before  _ literally _ felt like a cat shelter.”

 

Dongho stroked his thumb lightly over the curve of Minhyun’s waist, suddenly acutely aware that they were...cuddling. And it was  _ really _ nice.

He couldn’t really hear the TV anymore - not that it mattered.

 

Minhyun’s quiet purring turned into a little  _ chirrup _ . “But instead I’ve got you.”

 

“Yeah,” Dongho wasn’t sure when he got so breathless. “You got me.”

 

Minhyun shifted a little beside him, and Dongho wasn’t entirely sure what possessed him to look, but he did and  _ oh _ , Minhyun was…

 

Minhyun was looking right at him, blinking sleepily and a purr rumbling low in his throat.

 

Dongho let his eyes slip closed, then, as he felt one of Minhyun’s arms settle around his waist and the other hand on his chest. He wasn’t really thinking about it, nor did he make any move to lean in, but somehow, he knew what was coming.

 

The first touch of their lips was soft.

 

It wasn’t really chaste - not from the way Minhyun’s fingers gripped anxiously into Dongho’s shirt, or the way their pulses pounded almost in time with each other - but it wasn’t too much, either. As Dongho pulled Minhyun a little closer to him, a little shiver running up his spine when the hybrid sighed gently against his lips, everything just seemed...right, somehow. Warmth bloomed from Dongho’s chest and out through his whole body, to the very tips of his fingers tracing tiny patterns into Minhyun’s side. If he could have purred himself, he probably would have.

 

Maybe it was a bit weird to describe the way Minhyun lapped at his bottom lip as  _ kittenish _ , but it was really the only word to use. He didn’t push it any further - neither of them did - settling into quiet hums and gently, if a little messily, pressing their mouths together. Dongho didn’t know what to do with his hands. Maybe this much was enough.

 

He could feel Minhyun smiling.

 

Definitely enough.

 

“Ahaha…” Minhyun chuckled, almost under his breath. Dongho wanted to lean in and kiss him again, but maybe the moment had passed. “Catnip, huh?”

 

Dongho felt nervous then, just for a moment. But Minhyun was still smiling, if incredibly bashfully, and he couldn’t help but mirror him. Minhyun had barely had any catnip, and they both knew that.

 

Minhyun fiddled with Dongho’s shirt, fingers twitching just as the corners of his mouth did. They were still so close, having hardly moved apart, and while the mood was...different, it wasn’t awkward. It was just warm, and a little fuzzy around the edges as his mind caught up.

 

“It’s good,” Minhyun whispered, and Dongho could only find himself nodding with a murmured  _ yeah _ . He didn’t even know what Minhyun was talking about specifically, because it could have been the catnip still, but he wasn’t entirely sure that it was. Not with the other boy looking at him like that, gaze soft and a tiny vibration practically visible in his throat.

 

Whatever it was, Minhyun never said, and he flopped against Dongho - against his  _ chest _ this time - and turned his gaze back to the TV. Unsure where he stood, Dongho slung his arms loosely around Minhyun, fingertips playing at the hem of his shirt and possibly, just possibly, slipping under the fabric just a little bit.

 

The hybrid just purred contentedly, and they stayed just like that for the next two hours as a decently tolerable movie came on and neither of them cared enough to reach for the remote and change it.

 

Dongho wondered if maybe this was love.

 

**~*~**

 

The next morning dawned sunny and warm, and Dongho almost didn’t want to get out of bed. Healthy as it was to keep a consistent routine, he was  _ so _ tempted to just stay in bed and doze for a little bit longer. Just a bit.

 

Until, waking up just enough to be aware of the wider apartment outside of his own bedroom, he heard what he was pretty sure he recognised as the backing track from a recent car commercial. The sound of a female vocalist softly warbling, from somewhere in the direction of the front door.

 

Minhyun had to be awake.

 

After rolling - almost falling - out of the bed, leaving the blankets on the floor and then making sure he wasn’t  _ too _ first-thing-in-the-morning-gross, he followed the music and made his way to the living room. Somehow, just knowing Minhyun was around the corner from him had his heartbeat speeding up like he was some kind of anxious teenager.

 

Sure enough, Minhyun was right there. Sprawled out on the floor where the sunlight streaming in through the window made a bright (and probably  _ amazingly _ warm) patch. He’d moved the rug from its usual home, too, and looked to have made himself very comfy on it.

 

He stretched out with a little satisfied noise, and noticing Dongho’s presence, he reached out beside him to turn down the volume on his phone, just a bit.

 

“Morning,” he grinned, rolling over with another stretch. “You look like you don’t want to be standing up right now.”

 

Dongho groaned. “That bad?”

 

“Nah, I just know you. Anyways, you should be lying down. Join me?”

 

The playful little lilt at the end was too much for Dongho to even think of resisting, and within moments, he was getting onto the floor beside Minhyun even though there was barely enough room for them both on the rug, let alone in the sunshine.

 

Being so close to Minhyun made Dongho feel warmer anyway.

 

He thought for a moment that he may just fall asleep right there, but before he could, Minhyun rolled over to face him with a cheeky glimmer in his eyes. He reached out to hold Dongho’s hand, running his thumb over the back of his hand slowly, almost teasingly. Maybe it was from living together for so long, or maybe it was some other kind of connection, but just like before, Dongho was ready when the other boy leaned in to press their lips together.

 

It was lighter this time, barely even a peck, not to mention that Minhyun missed Dongho’s mouth on his first attempt and ended up lightly kissing the corner of his lips. (Not that Dongho minded.) It was lazy, less about pounding pulses and more...more soft. Soft lips on lips, soft strokes on the back of Dongho’s hand, Minhyun’s tail softly resting over Dongho’s legs and tickling the backs of his knees.

 

“I was thinking,” Minhyun’s words ghosted against Dongho’s lips, “of taking tomorrow off from work, too. Maybe sometime this weekend we can go on a date.”

 

_ A date. _ All concerns Dongho might have had evaporated in an instant. “Good to know you still like me without catnip involved.”

 

Minhyun laughed and kissed him again, short and sharp. “Yeah, you could say I like you. Kind of a lot, actually.”

 

“Also good to know.”

 

“At least tell me you like me too, dummy.” Dongho just kissed him instead, squeezing Minhyun’s hand tightly before letting go and reaching up to pet lightly behind the other boy’s ears instead. He felt himself smiling dumbly when the gentle touch elicited a pleased little  _ chirrup _ .

 

“I might like you a little bit.” He grinned wider as he felt Minhyun’s tail positively curling behind him. “Just a little.”

 

“Good enough for me.” Barely a whisper, and with a tug, Minhyun pulled Dongho close to connect their lips again. It was good. It was great. It was perfect. Dongho could do this all day.

 

And they probably would. After all, they had all weekend.

**Author's Note:**

> this isn't a typical catboy au but hopefully it's at least somewhat enjoyable regardless!! ^^; ♥


End file.
